La Rambla Celebrates 20 Years and Steps Outside During MacFresco!

With MacFresco!—where Third Street transforms into a pedestrian-friendly space for outdoor shopping, entertainment, dining, and drinks every weekend throughout the summer—in full swing, there is no better place to soak up the sun while sampling small plates, sipping award-winning wines, and listening to live music than La Rambla Restaurant & Social Room.

The romantic, rouge-painted restaurant has been serving Spanish-style tapas to the McMinnville community for 20 years, and Kathleen Stoler, Proprietor, shared how this vibrant eatery with its inventive menu came to our town in the first place.

Stoler originally moved to McMinnville to be closer to her two daughters and grandchildren. She purchased the Third Street building in 2001 and lived above the space for six years in a loft that now serves as a luxury vacation rental. In 2012, she bought the building next door, which was a second restaurant for a spell before becoming the Social Room that is now used for private events. According to Stoler, “both buildings are in the downtown historic district and are on the historic register, [and were] lovingly, painstakingly renovated to their original beauty.”

La Rambla’s dynamic cuisine was inspired by Stoler’s “many travels to Spain … Not too many people knew what tapas were when I was opening the restaurant. The rumor was that I was opening a topless bar.”

Thankfully the food spoke for itself, and La Rambla now boasts multiple awards for its extensive wine list and flavorful food options, including the “2024 Award of Excellence” from Wine Spectator (awarded every year since 2004) and the “Best of Mac” and the “Yamhill Valley ‘Best Fine Dining’” awards from the News Register. “Our menu is Spanish-inspired northwest cuisine featuring a large wine-friendly [variety] of tapas, dinner entrees, and luscious desserts,” said Stoler. “All of our food is made from scratch with the freshest ingredients available in the northwest, [and includes] oysters on the half shell, grilled octopus, lamb nachos, and crispy pork belly, [as well as] many vegetable selections and gluten-free options.”

Stoler believes “La Rambla is the ideal destination for anyone looking to enjoy a culinary gem nestled in the heart of Oregon’s gorgeous wine country.”  This is especially true during MacFresco! when you can be transported to Spain while dining outside and listening to the live music playing right next door on the Jacob Williams Winery stage. 

La Rambla Restaurant & Social Room
238 NE Third Street
OPEN
M-F 4-9
Saturday 12-10
Sunday 12-9

Kate H. Knapp (she/her) works as a writer, recipe tester, and editor in McMinnville. She loves nothing more than sharing the beauty of food with her little one and has been cooking since she herself was stove-high and whisk-strong.